Philip Sheridan, one of the Trustees of the Sydney Cricket Ground,
and Major Ben Wardill, secretary of Melbourne Cricket Club, combined to
sponsor this tour of Australia
and to arrange five Test matches. They decided to invite Andrew Stoddart to
lead the tour, given that Dr W.G.Grace had said he would not be going abroad
again.

England won the
first two Test matches and then lost the next two, the abrupt change in
fortune being ascribed to the heat, the rain and too much drinking.However, the team was eventually victorious,
retaining The Ashes with three victories to Australia's two.The series was evenly contested and
exciting, with the series result dependent on the final English innings, when
John Brown scored a rapid 140 aided by Albert Ward's 93 in a partnership that
snatched victory from Australia.

Wisden's Almanack described the tour as the most
successful since Parr's in 1863-64, It also returned a profit of £7000.

With the exception of messrs
Ford, Gay and MacLaren, who returned to Melbourne, the remainder of Stoddart’s
team departed from Port Adelaide on the 'Ophir' on 3 April 1895. Jim
Phillips who accompanied the team as umpire also sailed by the Ophir.

They left Port
Said on 28 April and reached Plymouth on 8 May 1895.

Ford intended to visit Japan, while Gay and Maclaren would return to London by a later
steamer.

Time
away from England

229 days

(21
September - 8 May)

Finances

From a financial point of view the trip exceeded expectations.
Income was £18 000, expenses £11000.

The Melbourne club benefitted by £3,300 and the
trustees of the Sydney Cricket Ground by £550.